Fall is creeping up....

Highs in the mid-70's, low's in the mid-50's......fall is starting to extend itself here.

Which makes me start thinking about next year all ready, and how I can make this garden better. This year's stuff, while it grew pretty well, was over whelmed by weeds, plain and simple. One thing I've got to try is the black plastic as mulch, especially for the melons. Speaking of melons, ours did NOT grow well at all. I had to replant both pumpkins and watermelons because of too much rain, and the muskmelon didn't grow at all, so I ended up buying a plant, which didn't do much better!

Anyway, back to weeds, I'm going to be getting some 2x8's this week, and start working on making more raised beds, as the ones we have right now produce quite nicely and the weeding is a cinch. I'm planning on bigger boxes (8x4) and seeing how they work out. The only problem with this is keeping the boxes well fertilized as those nutrients get sucked up pretty quick. The compost pile is working like crazy, but I need to find a reliable farmer or someone where I can get a truck load of manure without too much of an issue.

Next, I need to get the basement in order. We've got grow lights for the first time, now it's a matter of getting things set up for them. I'd love to be able to get a heating pad with the lights, but let's see how the lights do on their own first. I also need to get a handle on all the gardening crap that I have. Seeds, containers, soil, fertilizer, all this stuff is taking over the basement, much to my wife chagrin! I'm never going to be the most organized person in the world, but something needs to change! :D

That's it for tonight. I'm placing an order Emergency Essentials (little by little) then off to bed for a few hours of sleep before it's back to the grind!